23/07/2026
Yesterday I celebrated my 43rd birthday at the beach with my family.
We went swimming in the sea and my daughter took these pictures of me afterwrds.
They may just look like pictures to some people, but for me, it took a lot of guts to post
them. As with most photos of myself, my initial reaction was ugh I look horrible! But then I
took a step back, a deep breath and put things into perspective.
These were taken at a time when I was super happy – I had just been in the sea with my
three children laughing so much, feeling so free, and thinking, life doesn’t get much better
than this! So why put a negative on such a magical moment?
So many lovely moments in my life have been tainted by worrying about what I look like,
what other people think of me, seeing unflattering photos, and feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. I don’t want to feel this anymore.
I want other women to feel they can live their lives freely without being dictated by how
they look, what they weigh, what clothes size they wear, how many wrinkles they
have...and I want that for myself too. It isn’t easy, and it’s definitely a work in progress. But
to live your life unapologetically in your body, whatever it looks like, is the ultimate
freedom.
So these might not be the most ‘flattering’ photos of me. But it shows happiness. And
that’s what life is all about.